USCIS

USCIS has instituted a nationwide pause on adjudications for nationals of 19 “countries of concern,” directing officers to stop final decisions on all case types—including green cards and naturalizations—and to conduct a “full scale, rigorous reexamination” of approved benefit requests (including entrants on or after Jan. 20, 2021) with potential interviews, re-interviews, case prioritization within 90 days, and referrals to enforcement. Director Joseph Edlow has launched a new vetting center in Atlanta, expanded hiring for enforcement-focused roles amid agency workforce changes, and framed the measures as necessary to maximize vetting for national security after the D.C. shooting, with the pause’s duration left to his discretion.